Ashley and Joun’s 10
year love story lead us to their January 10th wedding. Their wedding day was a beautiful blend of their Egyptian and
Persian cultures beginning with a Persian ceremony called a Sofreh Aghd. The sofreh aghd is a traditional wedding ceremony spread
where legal marriage + ceremonial traditions are exchanged. The ceremonial
traditions have been practiced for thousands of years + sofreh aghd spreads are
usually very customary at Persian weddings. Like most, Iranians have diverse
religious backgrounds and the sofreh aghd is a chosen cultural ceremony
commonly practiced regardless of faith. There are many symbolic items in which
make up the sofreh aghd spread, all in which represent an element of the
couple’s new life + marriage together. The word “sofreh” means “spread” and
“aghd” means “ceremony.
After the Sofreh Aghd, the guests traveled to Joun’s church for a
traditional Coptic Orthodox Ceremony. Once all of the religious ceremonies were complete, everyone headed to the
historic Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Being that Joun is Egyptian, Ashley
felt that the Egyptian Ballroom would be the only fitting venue for their
reception. Lush floral designs and an impressive and bold wedding cake greeted
the guests as they arrived. Traditional Egyptian music welcomed the guests as
they all made their way to their seats. During dinner, a belly dancer
entertained the guests who joined in the tradition dances between each course.
To top off the already fairytale day, Ashley and Joun ended the night with
their guests by closing down Peachtree Street in the heart of midtown Atlanta
for their sparkler sendoff. It doesn’t
get more magical than that!
{Photo Credit: Loyall Hart}
